In collaboration with Koekoeā Studio, we look at the approaches, practices and mindsets we need to to develop in our learners and in ourselves as teachers.
Understanding development from childhood to adulthood: The cognitive, physical, social, and emotional changes taking place.
Building the platform for learning to happen through looking at behaviour (ours, not theirs), classroom management, trust, and rapport.
Teaching approaches and ideas for activities.
It was a very engaging course to not only educate based on knowledge off adolescents - but also enlighten on how they are changing and why. Very much enjoyed the platform and the types of ways the course was put together.
It was a very engaging course to not only educate based on knowledge off adolescents - but also enlighten on how they are changing and why. Very much enjoyed the platform and the types of ways the course was put together.
Read LessThis is a wonderful collection of very well founded advice to understand the behaviour of pre teens and teens. Thanks.
This is a wonderful collection of very well founded advice to understand the behaviour of pre teens and teens. Thanks.
Read LessOn the Ground in the Classroom
Emma Pratt (photographed here in 2026 with her father’s cows :) ) is a PhD candidate at Massey University, New Zealand, and an experienced teacher educator with over 20 years’ experience working in international education contexts across the UK, Spain, and New Zealand. Her current teaching focuses on preparing learners for UK English examinations, while her earlier work includes teaching and assessing academic writing for IELTS and Cambridge English. She is particularly interested in helping educators understand how writing is assessed and how teaching can be aligned with established frameworks. Alongside this, her broader pedagogical interests explore relational and reflective approaches to learning, including how classroom environments, attention, and wellbeing shape the learning experience. She brings a collaborative, practical approach to workshops, grounded in shared experience and open dialogue.
Emma has been designing online learning courses since 2013 and was, with Jamie King, a finalist in the ELTons 2014 for Innovation in Teaching
Welcome and thanks for joining me!
About the writer of this course
FREE PREVIEWThe Pre-Teen Diaries I
FREE PREVIEWWell-Being
FREE PREVIEWTask
What to Expect in This Module
The Pre-Teen Diaries II
Feedback
Forming a Good Base for Well-Being in Childhood
FREE PREVIEWMental States
Illustration and Art as Platforms for Talking about Emotions
What age group do we actually talk about when we say “Teens” or "Pre-Teens"?
Our Beliefs About Teaching English Across the Spectrum of Ages
Ways to Adapt this Last Activity for Your Classroom
What are Puberty and Adolescence? When Does Adolescence Start and Finish?
Myths About Teens
What Neurological Developments are Taking Place During Adolescence?
True or False: As a Result of the Neurological Changes Taking Place, What are Adolescents and Pre-Adolescents Like?
Further Reading: Bolstering self-critical children who tend to talk themselves down
The Pre-Teen Diaries III
A Story About My Nephew
What Makes a Good Teacher? Students Tell Us What They Think.
Teen Teacher Extraordinaire: Jame's Ten Tips for Building Rapport
Our Lizard Brain I: Anger, Stress, Panic and Meltdowns
Our Lizard Brain II: Strategies for Managing it and Modelling Control to Our Students.
Time to Reflect and Set Some Goals
Further Reading
Self-Employment: Learn how to define your niche and position yourself in the education market.
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